Why being top of the rankings might not be worth the cost

Each day I get half a dozen emails telling me our website is not on page 1 of Google.   Does this matter?

It’s always struck me that people who email me, telling me that they can get my website onto page 1 in response to Google searches, are being a bit odd. 

I mean, if, as they suggest, being top of a Google search is the best way to advertise, why don’t they just get their website to the top of the rankings, and wait for me to call them?

Why use email to promote their service when being top of the rankings is all that matters?

The answer in fact is that being on page 1 in the results of a Google search isn’t as beneficial as some people imagine, because everything depends on the customer doing a suitable search in the first place.   

With an email however, it is the seller who is in control.  You put your words right in front of the teacher, rather than waiting for the teacher to think she or he might need what you sell, and then do a search.   

Our research suggests that most school managers and teachers do scan at least the opening of each and every email sent to them at school.  Your prime job is to grab the recipient’s attention in the first five seconds and then hold it.

Of course, a website is still necessary, but outside of the world of consumer sales, its prime function is not for attracting people doing Google searches.  The webpages are primarily used to show the features, once the teacher has had her or his interest aroused via an email which discusses the benefits of buying your product or service.

Indeed, people who offer to get you onto page 1 of Google know this perfectly well.  Which is why they themselves advertise their service via email, not just on their website!

Besides which, if you advertise by email, when someone does enquire in response to an email you can later write to them again with further details of what you sell.  If they just read about your service on the website and go away, you’ve lost them forever.

If you would like to email teachers via the Schools.co.uk service, you’ll find that after each promotion we’ll supply you with the details of how many people read your email, and how many then went onto your website.

You can then compare those numbers with the level of sales you’ve got.  If the sales are what you hoped for, all well and good.  If not, we’ll see exactly why, and help you put things right.  And we’ll do that at no cost to you at all.

If you want to know more please do call 01604 880 927, or email Stephen@schools.co.uk or if you prefer, please do to take a look on our website.

Tony Attwood